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New premium Festival beer kits. Including two pouches (3kg) of premium brewers grade liquid malt extract, hopped for bitterness and a 10g sachet of brewers yeast. They also include a sachet of hop pellets made up from appropriate mixed varieties of hops to create the right style of beer and also a measured pack of priming sugar. Includes additional brewing sugar to increase the ABV.

Details

Complex flavours of tropical fruit and pine needles in abundance, big and malty with perfect bitterness.
Target and Summit Hops
See - Rich Brown mahogany ale with tan coloured head.
Aroma - Earthy aroma with a slight notes of pine sap and intense passion fruit.
Makes 40 pints of approx 5% beer.
New premium Festival beer kits. Including two pouches (3kg) of premium brewers grade liquid malt extract, hopped for bitterness and a 10g sachet of brewers yeast. They also include a sachet of hop pellets made up from appropriate mixed varieties of hops to create the right style of beer and also a measured pack of priming sugar. Includes additional brewing sugar to increase the ABV.

The simple answer to this is to add more sugar. The yeast eats the sugar and that produces more alcohol. Most brewers will use dry malt extract as their sugar source because it will add more alcohol to the beer, but doesn't add a lot of sweetness to the beer like table sugar will. Keep in mind the yeast can only handle so much alcohol, so be careful on how much DME you add.

As the alcohol level rises in the wort, the fermentation begins to slow down. Adding yeast nutrients to the wort can give the yeast new food allowing for an extended fermentation period. Yeast nutrient also helps to create stronger cell walls, which make yeast less susceptible to alcohol death. Another way to increase the alcohol level in the beer is to add yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance towards the end of fermentation.

Extract brewing uses the same basic techniques as kits but you prepare the wort from ingredients rather then using kit concentrate. Water, malt extract and hops are boiled for approx 1 hour before cooling then adding yeast as above. This method requires a large pan (10 litre minimum) and strainer in addition to the basic equipment required for kits. You choose and buy packs of extract, hops and yeast then follow a recipe. There are lots of different recipes to follow and you can add herbs and spices to create unique blends. There is also a huge range of hops which all have there own unique flavour. This method works out about the same cost as using a Premium kit but you have the flavour control and satisfaction of creating your own recipes. We have a constantly expanding range of extract recipe packs to make things easy and get you going.

Extra sugar may be required dependant on the kit. In general the cheaper single can kits require 1 kg of brewing sugar and the more expensive boxed kits don't require additional brewing sugar. Malt extract (spraymalt) can be used instead of sugar at the same rate and will give the beer more body and a rounder mouth feel.

All kits will require a small amount of priming sugar (around 80-120g) for priming the bottles/barrel, which will give the beer a slight carbonation but any sugar can be used for this.

Once the wort (unfermented beer) has been made up as per the instructions (most kits take around 15 minutes) yeast is added and the fermentation takes place. There are many factors which will effect the time this takes, temperature, amount of sugars which need fermenting (ie strength of the beer) and type of yeast but you can expect most fermentations to be complete between 7 - 14 days.

Once fermentation is complete then the beer is ready to be stored in bottles or barrel and a small amount of sugar is added (known as priming) which will then ferment again but this time the Co2 produced cannot escape and will dissolve in the beer giving the beer a slight carbonation.

Then the beer is left to clear. Again the time this takes will depend on quite a few factors - type of yeast, temperature (cooler the better) and type of container to name a few but you can expect the beer to be clear and ready to drink with a few weeks (4 - 6) and the beer will continue to mature and improve for a few months after this.

1. Adding too much water. If you have added the correct amount of water then this will not be the problem.

2. Not stiring after adding all the water. This will leave all the sugars at the bottom of the fermenter which will cause the gravity to be low at the top.

3. Measuring the gravity when the pre fermented wort is too cool. Hydrometers are calibrated at a set temp, usually 20c so if you measure the gravity and the wort is cooler or hotter than this then this will effect the result as liquids become less dense at warmer temperatures.

Its more than likely that one of these is the cause. If you still have issues after checking the above then please give contact us.

Hi there, Old Speckled Hen is a extract recipe pack so you will need a large pan (10 litres min) and a strainer. You will also need basic brewing equipment such as fermenter, syphon, hydrometer and steriliser.

All you need to determine alcohol content is the original or starting gravity and the final gravity. Just drop the decimal points, subtract the smaller one from the bigger, and divide by 7.5. For example, If your starting gravity is 1.055, and your final gravity is 1.010, you would have 1.055 - 1.010 = 45 divided by 7.5 = 6% alcohol.

Dry hopping is the process of adding hops, usually in secondary, to a beer to add more of a hop aroma to your beer. Traditionally the technique is used for beer styles like pale ales and I.P.A.’s, but people are doing this process in many other styles as well. You aren’t extracting any of the oils from the hops because you would need to add heat to do that, but you are adding aroma. Being that almost 75% of human taste comes from smell, then you can see why people take this extra step with their beers.

Dry hopping methods vary, so find which way gives you the best results:

We prefer to add the dry hops with 3-5 days left before you plan on bottling, or kegging, the beer. The reason for this is because the idea is to have the hop aroma infuse with the beer without having the aroma fade. By adding the hops only a few days before bottling, you get the freshest hop aroma throughout your beer without much loss of taste.

What type of hops are the best for dry hopping?

Most of us prefer the use of leaf hops, as they are easier to deal with when you transfer, but pellet hops will work as well. As far as the type of hops itself, that is up to you. Most brewers will use the same type of hops that they used in making the beer and many modern ales use American citrus style hops like Amarillo and Cascade for interesting aroma additions.

Be careful of the quantity of hops that you use because you can easily overpower a beer by using too much. Also avoid leaving the hops in the beer for too long as grassy flavours can develop. Usually, around 25g - 50g is all you need. Start with 25g, and then see if you need to add more the next time.

It really depends on the region you live in as tap water quality will vary locally. If it taste/smells nice then its probably fine to use. Adding 1/2 a crushed campden tablet / 25 litres of water will remove any chlorine from the water which can help improve taste.

Alternatively most supermarkets offer own brand bottled water in 5 litre containers at a very reasonable price.

When the beer starts to ferment a thick foam will normally form on the top. This is quite normal and will protect the beer during fermentation. This should form within 24 hrs of the yeast being added. If nothing has happened within this time you may need to check the temperature of the room as it may be too cold. If the temperture is okay, leave for a bit more time. If nothing has happened after 48 hours then you may need to add yeast nutrient but have patience before taking this step.

The foam should die down after a couple of days, after which you should take a hydrometer reading. Bottle or barrel when the hydrometer readings have remained stable for a couple of days.

Need to know - Delivery

Please enter your postcode at the checkout to ensure that we charge the correct amount towards postage and packing. We aim to despatch all orders within 24 hours, by our dedicated team of packers, and sent by courier on a 24 hour service. All orders are packed with care using air bags and bubble wrap where appropriate. In the unfortunate event that your order is damaged during transit we will replace all damaged items without quibble, including glass items, just send us a photo of the damaged items within 3 days of recieving delivery.

Please note that we only process orders Monday - Friday and therefore bank holidays can cause slight delays in despatch so please be patient at these times. There can also be a slight delay during extremely busy periods especially in the run up to Christmas but most orders will be despatched within a few days.

A signature is required for delivery and the courier will not leave your parcel unless it has been signed for. If you are not in an advice card will be left and your parcel will be taken to your local post office or depot. An alternative, work, address can be entered at the checkout. Use this function for sending your parcel as a present. Please contact us if you wish to send your goods as a present and we will be happy to include a personal message in the contents. This will not delay your order. We cannot accept orders to BFPO addresses.

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Customer Reviews

This turned out amazing. A fantastic blend of hoppy and bitter. I will definitely be buying this one again.

I found it took a while to clear, and like others have said, it matures with age. At 4 weeks in the bottle it was a very good beer. At 8 weeks (by which time half had been drunk) it was amazing. And once again I find myself wishing I had had the will power to leave them alone for longer.

These kits are great as they come with everything measured out, dry hops, priming sugar etc. However, this one is very bitter and quite thin tasting and, in my opinion, there are better ones in the Festival range

I tend to do extract kits but got drawn to this. It is great in that everything is measured and ready. As others have said, it does take a bit longer (but what's the hurry?). I did 2 weeks primary, 1 week secondary (with the hop packet included), 1 week warm conditioning (with the included priming sugar), 1 week cool. Easily as good as a pub beer, but not quite as perfect as the extract kits which cost the same and only take an hour longer to make

Went for this kit based on the reviews. Followed the instructions but it took longer than expected to get the SG to stabilise at the guide line level. As a results hops were in the FV for much longer. The result seems to be a very hoppy brew which is drinkable but much too bitter for me. However I have not been put off and have since bought another Festival kit (Razor back) and this time delayed putting in the hops by a few days and once again the brew took longer to get down to a stable Sg so I syphoned off to another FV straining off the hops for the final few days and this time a great result. I would recommend not leaving the hops in the FV a day more than the instructions recommend. My local brew shop had advised me to only use half the supplied hops but I decided to go as the instructions but turned out they were sort of right.
Would still recommend but be careful with the hops.

I usually brew extract kits ,but thought I would try this new one.
A very lively fermentation then I put it in a keg, After 3 weeks I
had a taste , it was horrible. tried again a few days later it was very bitter
but better. A week later and it has changed into a very good beer
probably as good as I can brew.( To good to share with others.)

This tastes like a top quality Ale I had read all the reviews but did not believe it could be as good as everyone was saying. I have now got the Suffolk one in the fermenter, then might have a go with one of the others. I must add how easy the instructions are to follow

A well balanced hoppy beer .These kits are the gold standard for anyone starting homebrew or those that have brewed for years they have allways proved to make great tasting beer with no tweaks needed .Value for money again other brands should take note.

I will buy this one again and again. Started 1/6/13 hopped 6/6/13 transferred to bottling barrel fitted with little bottler 11/6/13 and bottled 12/6/13 drinking now 12/7/13. All these kits benefit from at least 2 to 4 weeks maturation, I prefer bottles as I can chill in the fridge. Only 2 more to try, Father Hooks still to buy, currently brewing Razorback, Old Suffolk Strong Ale was my previous favorite brew. Landlord's Finest in keg for 10 days only so needs a wee while longer.

I know i am just repeating what the other reviews have said, but this is just an astonishingly good kit.

Fantastic Hoppy flavour with a good bitter bite, yet full and satisfying.

Somehow i managed to make it stronger at 6.2% than the est 5% abv (yes I did follow the instructions to the letter, (which with this kit is actually possible)), but that just made it more entertaining for the easter bank holiday.

Over all really impressed with the festival kits only 5 More to go, (and i have a golden stag in the barrel maturing as we speak, happy days)

What a top notch kit, comes with everything you need, right down to hop pellets and priming sugar.

Has been in the bottle for over 5 weeks now, and this really does knock the socks off anything else I have brewed - the hop profile which is usually lacking in most kits, really sings out here - but it's in balance and does not overpower.

Easily as good as any pint I have had in a pub, and even makes the legendary Wherry seem lacklustre in comparison. Can't wait to try more in the series